OFFICIAL I HAVE A NEW (FILM RELATED) TOY THREAD!!

ChrisR said:
A nice feature of this particular lens is that it has an A setting on the aperture ring, but you can't accidentally move to it... need to press a little button first. My other (few) lenses with the A setting don't have this protection. I don't have a camera that can use the A setting, so I'm not sure of the effect of slipping into it.
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IIRC from other forums is the 19mm Vivitar is supposed to be a very good lens, I bet you can't wait for the results to come back......a case for Asda with results in 35mins o_O;)
 
stevelmx5 said:
Is it an auto stop down of the aperture so you can focus wide open then the aperture is stopped down by the body as the shot is taken?
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Like all Pentax K lenses I know of, it does auto stop down, ie focus and meter wide open, close down to taking aperture automatically when the shutter button fired. (The "lazy iris" lens I posted about recently wasn't doing that properly... :( ) Most of my lenses are Pentax-M, fully manual apart from the auto stop down. I have a couple of Pentax-A lenses or non-Pentax lenses with an A setting on the aperture ring that allows the camera body to set the aperture. Not a lot of use to me as none of my bodies can do that!
 
excalibur2 said:
IIRC from other forums is the 19mm Vivitar is supposed to be a very good lens, I bet you can't wait for the results to come back......a case for Asda with results in 35mins o_O;)
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I'll try to process the FP4+ over the weekend; the other film was Agfa Portrait 160 (expired, shot at 100 IIRC) and I'll send that off to Filmdev probably at the weekend. None of the local ASDAs do film processing!
 
ChrisR said:
Like all Pentax K lenses I know of, it does auto stop down, ie focus and meter wide open, close down to taking aperture automatically when the shutter button fired. (The "lazy iris" lens I posted about recently wasn't doing that properly... :( ) Most of my lenses are Pentax-M, fully manual apart from the auto stop down. I have a couple of Pentax-A lenses or non-Pentax lenses with an A setting on the aperture ring that allows the camera body to set the aperture. Not a lot of use to me as none of my bodies can do that!
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Thanks for the explanation Chris :0)
 
ChrisR said:
...I was quite excited opening the packaging, as always. But I must say I was astounded when I got it. An absolutely mint Vivitar Series 1 19mm f/3.8, complete with box and manual, both in mint condition as well. Very pleased. All the bits seem to work well.

... The 19mm focal length is going to take some getting used to!
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excalibur2 said:
IIRC from other forums is the 19mm Vivitar is supposed to be a very good lens...
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Well, I really should pay attention more, perhaps. Fleabay sold prices suggest a Pentax-A 20mm f/2.8 goes for almost £400, a Pentax-M 20mm f/4 goes for £250 upwards, and this one [Vivitar 19mm f/3.8] was £50. What should that have told me?

I scanned the first roll yesterday evening, and from the first frame my heart was sinking. Not just soft at the edges and corners, but soft and weirdly stretched as well. It's such a physically beautiful lens, that sits so nicely on the camera, it was hard to believe my eyes at the results. It does get good reviews on PentaxForums, but when I went back and looked, nearly all the reviewers were using crop sensor DSLRs, so they wouldn't see most of the problems.

It was a very murky day using FP4+, so I was probably shooting fairly wide open, and of course I didn't take notes of my aperture settings, so I guess this isn't definitive. The colour film should be back from Filmdev tomorrow or Friday... hang on, I've got a download link... hmmm, they don't look nearly so bad, quite nice really. Definite softness in the corners but not so objectionable. Partly this was obviously a brighter day, so presumably smaller apertures. Partly, none of the colour ones had tree foliage in the upper corners; that seemed to be particularly problematic in the first roll. Maybe it deserves a second chance, maybe actually try the same shot at different apertures.

(I'll put some of these shots in the Show Us thread in the next couple of days.)
 
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Oh dear.......but Chris you have to remember the two dreaded words "copy variation" and CV has been going on for at least as far back as I can remember and now and again repeat what happened about 40 years ago when the pros would go to their friendly camera dealer and try different lenses (of the same type) and buy the one that gave the best results....easy done just take shots outside with the different lenses on the same film, a quick film dev and a print done locally (or use a loupe) and then buy the lens you like. And how many times have you read I have a great lens and would never sell it, so who sells the lenses on fleabay....it's all luck.
Anyway I would suggest on the next roll you pick subects and test at different apertures it could have a sweet spot and the reason someone buys Nikon or Pentax etc is probably they give better results wide open and less distortion overall.

Some comments going back to 2001
http://www.photographyreview.com/ca.../19mm-f-3-8-mf/prd_85170_3111crx.aspx#reviews
 
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One of the best camera lenses I've ever used, I had an original and then a MkIII. For some reason, and I still do not know why, I just couldn't like either of them, I took more photos I'm pleased with but I just found it too impersonal, almost digital somehow. Shame really as they are superb.
 
I was the same with the GA645 I had. The results were sharper than any other camera I've used but I just found it a little too point and shoot to keep it. I do fancy trying a GW690 though :0)
 
Andysnap said:
One of the best camera lenses I've ever used, I had an original and then a MkIII. For some reason, and I still do not know why, I just couldn't like either of them, I took more photos I'm pleased with but I just found it too impersonal, almost digital somehow. Shame really as they are superb.
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stevelmx5 said:
I was the same with the GA645 I had. The results were sharper than any other camera I've used but I just found it a little too point and shoot to keep it. I do fancy trying a GW690 though :0)
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I've quickly chucked a roll of Fomapan 400 through it which I will develop this evening to check all is okay before it gets a good workout in the USA in a few weeks time!
First impressions are that it is an absolute beast!!! Not as heavy as I thought it would be, but very big in the hands!
 
AdzJackson said:
I've quickly chucked a roll of Fomapan 400 through it which I will develop this evening to check all is okay before it gets a good workout in the USA in a few weeks time!
First impressions are that it is an absolute beast!!! Not as heavy as I thought it would be, but very big in the hands!
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It's a big fella alright...snigger. But it definitely produces top class IQ.
Tonquin-Beach-Sunset6 by Andy, on Flickr

abdoujaparov said:
Hur hur hur.
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You are a very bad man. ;):D
 
Some bad minds around here haha! I was definitely describing a camera okay! :p
Scanned in the Fomapan and everything looks good, no leaks of any kind and the quality is unreal, scanned in at 4800dpi I can zoom to 100% and see the detail clearly, just need some non boring garden test shots now!
Here it is with its younger cousin:

ImageUploadedByTalk Photography Forums1463937838.996006.jpg

Adam
 
After purchasing Asha's Nikon FE I picked up a 50mm E series from eBay. Nothing wrong with the image quality but just didn't fit with the look of the camera, so have replaced it with a 50mm AI 1.7.

I am now strolling round like Don McCullin in his prime :p

 
narbs said:
After purchasing Asha's Nikon FE
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Now if it's my FE, erm, how come you have it?:thinking::D

Actually it looks in better nick now than it ever did when I had it......can I have it back?:exit::D

Nice lens btw(y)

You might be desperate to gain a tenth of a stop Jon, i dunno, but fwiw it has a max aperture of F/1.8 not 1.7.........demand a partial refund from the seller I say:ROFLMAO:
 
Strappy said:
You know we're going to want a photo-tour of the workshop/factory floor, right? ;)
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Ha ha.... now that's an interesting sideline idea trouble the H&S is bad enough now!

bambam said:
That looks like one cool place!
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Thanks Mom and Dad started it in 1975 and were still going strong with modern computer operated machinery working along side traditional joiners.

I really must get out there more with a camera!
 
Sectionate said:
May have bought an Olympus Trip to satisfy my urge for something film related. Not sure I needed it
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Film is one of those things where, *need* is far more than is required for justification of purchase. *I want that awesome looking bit of film kit* is perfectly adequate for justification. The next thing you know, you'll have bought a MF camera having loved shooting various 35mm cameras :D
 
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